I’m a performer on a lower rung of entertainment. All of us entertainers have had the experience, and the top names have had it as well. A tough room. And it’s generally acknowledged that the White House Correspondents’ Dinner — a room filled with celebrities, politicians, and journalists who take themselves far more seriously than they would care to admit — is one of the tougher rooms. You almost wonder why some comedians agree to perform (money aside).

This time it was Larry Wilmore’s literal job to follow an act that has been increasingly hard to follow: President Barack Obama’s own stand up act. Any politician can read jokes written by others, but Obama also has developed great timing.

Some of Wilmore’s jokes were cringeworthy and weak, but then weak jokes, old jokes, puns — all can get big yucks in the “right” room. He got some groaners and big yecchs. He even got the finger from a smiling Don Lemon, after aiming a zinger at the popular CNN newsman.

The transcript of his act is HERE. The big news was his use of the “n” word at the end. But the bigger news was his set was judged as unsuccessful. I suspect it would have done better with a different audience. But watch it for yourself and judge for yourself, using your own humor and political filter. Here it is in FULL: